The first time I came across Schwarz-weiss Gebäck cookies, I thought they were gorgeous — and slightly intimidating. The German cookie, otherwise known as the checkerboard cookie, seemed like the sort of thing that master pastry chefs or factory machines created (not your average person). I mentioned my curiosity to a friend, who scoffed at my hesitance. They are quite easy to make, she insisted, and she often bakes them as her zone-out-in-the-kitchen “zen” project. I was still incredulous: She also happens to be a professional food stylist who has worked for celebrity chefs and on TV shows.

After attempting the cookies myself, I realized she’s actually right. Making two doughs might be a little fussy, but the cookies themselves are quite easy to assemble. Don’t believe me? Follow my step-by-step photos below for the easy how-to and you’ll be impressing your friends and family in no time. To give the classic black-and-white checkerboards a holiday riff, I subbed lemon dough for vanilla and gingerbread dough for the traditional chocolate, which yields a sweet-spicy-tart cookie that tastes, quite simply, like the holidays.

When planning the same holiday year after year, how do you keep your celebration fresh and interesting while maintaining a sense of tradition? We asked our favorite bloggers and food people to share what’s inspiring their Thanksgiving planning this year. From ancestor’s recipes and falling leaves, to beautiful piles of ingredients and thoughtful home decor, there was no shortage of imagination. See what motivates some of the most creative minds we know, and then start planning your annual feast.

Years ago, through circumstances beyond our control, my partner and I missed out on having a Thanksgiving dinner. Plans had been made, then fallen through, and as we sat on my aging college-era futon, in my tiny 300-square-foot studio apartment in San Francisco, with all our friends gone for the holidays, we made a pact that from then on, Thanksgiving was to be our holiday. We would always host dinner regardless of where we were and who was available. We’ve kept that vow, hosting dinner every single year afterwards, whether it meant making a feast just for ourselves in that same tiny studio apartment (complete with all the fixings and sides) or hosting a double back-to-back feast (Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving) feeding 20+ people both nights while staying at a friend’s condo in Los Angeles.